Beezerk
Money List Winner
TAA has earned the right back spot, did I read that right?
He's a powder puff defender, granted great going forward but really?
TAA has earned the right back spot, did I read that right?
He's a powder puff defender, granted great going forward but really?
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
TAA has earned the right back spot, did I read that right?
He's a powder puff defender, granted great going forward but really?
Was talking about Palmer earning his spot
If you want to get the best out of the likes of TAA then the cover needs to be there - can’t allow or play two full backs that look to roam and get on the ball if you are going to leave two CBs exposed unless they are rapid and you have someone sitting in front
Bdill93
Undisputed King of FOMO
TAA has earned the right back spot, did I read that right?
He's a powder puff defender, granted great going forward but really?
For me he's the best RB option by a mile.
Champions league winner, proven at every level and has world class ability.
Its a myth that he cant defend.
Reemul
Head Pro
Because before last night he has done very well, everyone is entitled to an off night and most of teh team had it.
Reemul
Head Pro
I don't get this, 1 bad game an d his is a big liability, I mean really, it's frustrating reading this absolute rubbish, when he has 4 or 5 bagd games or 3 or 4 over a bigger period maybe but has never done any of those things and now he is a big liability, I mean really come one, absolute rubbish. yes he was rubbisha dn really poor and needs a kick up the arse but please full of rhetoric
Depends what you want from your right sided defenders - I won’t refer to them as full backs.
If you want them to be attacking, creative players who play high up the pitch, then TAA is your man. He’s as good as any player in that position.
If your priority is a secure defence then, quite simply, he’s not. It’s absolutely not a myth that he cannot defend. His positioning at times is shocking, and the way he lamely stuck out a leg for the first Greece goal last night pretty much summed up how robust he is in the challenge. He’s just not.
A cliche I know, but I’ll say it again. Great wing back. Awful full back.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
The best for me is James. However he is never fit so puts himself out of contention
PaulMdj
Well-known member
He’s not awful as a full back, that’s blatantly wrong, above average or good as a right back only, there is no way he has been a regular for Lpool or picked for England based purely on his play going forward.
Bunkermagnet
Journeyman Pro
Just going on the commentary. A keeper who tries to play out and then loses the ball is a liability.
Do what he's best at, not what he might dream about.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I still don't think Pickford is a top keeper in the grand scheme of things, but I also don't think there's an English keeper who vastly outperforms him. Like left back (apparently), this is just an area where we don't have many great options. He's the best of a bad bunch.
chrisd
Major Champion
Orikoru
Tour Winner
It was a model that worked well for Roberto Carlos.
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
The worst thing for me was the second goal.!
We tried something different it didn’t work ,fair enough.
But we got ourselves back into it by equalising .
But we failed to draw because we couldn’t manage the game in extra time.
Not losing would have been a decent result given how we played and how well Greece dealt with us.
It’s also my thinking that PL defenders are not that good.
Just look how many goals were scored last weekend.
Some of the defending last night would shame a pub team!
We tried something different it didn’t work ,fair enough.
But we got ourselves back into it by equalising .
But we failed to draw because we couldn’t manage the game in extra time.
Not losing would have been a decent result given how we played and how well Greece dealt with us.
It’s also my thinking that PL defenders are not that good.
Just look how many goals were scored last weekend.
Some of the defending last night would shame a pub team!
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
Spot on
Liverpool employ a CB that covers him as they expect him to be out of position when going forward.
The space behind TAA last night was because Stones didn’t do that.
Bunkermagnet
Journeyman Pro
You only hvae to look at the nationalilties of the PL's best defenders.....
Bunkermagnet
Journeyman Pro
If he was that crap, why would RM be chasing him anyway?
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
They understand how he plays and have the quality players to cover him when he goes forward.
The thing for me last night was with the amount of ball players on the pitch first half there was no need for the FBs to bomb forward and leave that much space.
Greece to their credit saw and exploited that.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I'm sure we've discussed it many times, but defending in football is not what it used to be at all. Look at the early 2000s centre backs, like Terry, Vidic, Campbell, Adams a little before them. Uncompromising players who would win the ball and clear it. Nowadays the focus is on whether they can keep possession. The archetypal modern centre back is John Stones - nice and tidy on the ball, yes he can defend a bit, but he's nothing against those names I mentioned. People raved about Van Dijk a couple of seasons ago, yes he was very good by modern standards, but again, not really up to the names I mentioned.
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
Totally agree.
But the ones you mentioned would see red before 20 mins in todays powder puff football.
Beezerk
Money List Winner
Re your last point, I think that’s exactly what’s happened in the recent England games. Maybe the manager has underestimated what he thought were poor teams and didn’t expect TAA to actually do much proper defending. To steal a phrase from you, there’s no way he’s an international level defender and should be no where near the starting 11 imo.
